A public preview of Windows 8.1 will be made available for consumers to try out during Microsoft's BUILD conference, which will take place from June 26 to June 28.

Windows 8.1 is expected to bring back some semblance of the iconic "Start" button and will make an effort to ensure that customer feedback doesn't go unanswered. "We are being very real about what needs to change and changing it as thoughtfully and quickly as we can," said Windows Chief Julie Larson-Green.

Microsoft's Julie Larson-Green

“We're not sitting back and saying, they will get used to it. We've considered a lot of different scenarios to help traditional PC users move forward as well as making usability that much better on all devices."